A Little Fresh Air
A light fog hovers headlight-high over the long, flat road. The sky is dark navy directly above my car, fading to light blue with the warm pink sunrise bleeding into the cool on the eastern horizon. Pink tendrils slowly creep across the wide expanse of the country sky as the car speeds through the snow-covered plains.
The beauty of a new day relaxes my grip on the steering wheel, my white knuckles turning pink as blood is allowed to flow freely through my fingers. I roll down my window even though it’s mid-January in Minnesota. The frigid blast of air steals the breath out of my lungs and my face immediately tenses up. My body wants to fight the cold but my soul embraces the crisp air. My body yearns for the air to be conditioned to my comfort but my soul longs for the wind of the wild north. My soul must win and so the window stays down. Fighting my physical reaction, I slow down my breathing and relax my face as much as possible.
I’m still cold but my body is no longer panicking and neither is my mind.
Sometimes, peace isn’t found in comfort.